Audiophiles, help me out!!

[Monkey.D.Luffy]

Hey all, so I am in the process of deciding on a high-end home theater setup for use in India. I visited the pro-fx dealership in blore and they suggested the focal electras in a 7.1 setup. I was previously thinking of a 5.1 setup with either the B&W 800 series or a high-end B&O setup with Beolab 5s.

Having read reviews of the focal electras, I am now actually quite tempted to get them as they seem very VFM , but they are insanely expensive in India(oxymoron?)!! Can anyone suggest me any other options to go with which will perhaps offer close to the same performance at a lower price point? or even better performance at around the same price?

Anyways, as of now I am pretty much sold on the focal electras, and the pro-fx dudes sent me a quotation pairing the beauties with Denon recievers.
This is the part where I am getting confused and need some help.

Most people I have talked to (except the pro-fx guy who talks like nothing makes better amps than denon) are of the opinion that pairing denons, even the top models with such high-end speakers is not a great idea and I shud be looking at brands like Mcintosh etc. I think I stumbled upon a post on this very forum saying the same thing and pointing out pro-fx's fetish regarding focals and denons. So can someone actually clarify? Do I really need to spend 5Ls just on mono-blocks from (insert brand name here) to do the speakers justice?

I am used to buying out of the box systems(mostly B&Os, have an old Nakamichi) and have no idea about Amps except what I have read in the past couple of weeks and everyone's views are so different on the matter. In the end, its a complex topic and i still have no clue what stuff like solid state, Class A/B/C/D etc mean. As some would say/have said I am a complete "newb" hehe.

Please keep in mind that this system will be sourced from India and so only provide info if the said equipment can actually be purchased here. Any knowledge on this matter would be super!!

 

[spirovious]

Welcome to HFV...
You can get a decent system from profx,but whats budget?

 

[Monkey.D.Luffy]

Sir,
Budget is max 15L, excluding the video components, acoustic treatment etc.
I think this is a majestic sum for a home-theater setup and hopefully should afford me close to a state of the art system. Please do not think that spending a huge sum is the goal here, may choose to get a much cheaper system if I don't see much benefit when I go for auditions.

 

[jitubisht]

Thats some serious budget.

If I were in your place, I would go to Chennai which is more or less the AV hub of India with many brands are available for you to audition.
If that cant be done, you should atleast consider going to Mumbai and audition various brands available.

Although Denon and Focal may still be what you finally choose, but you would've heard other brands.

At this budget, you can actually consider brands like Monitor Audio Silver series, Quads, Dynaudio, Paradigm, Dali Ikons.

If you want this for movies and movies only, then you should seriously consider the Klipsch horn loaded 7.2 THX certified package which are arond 3L everything included. In this scenario, you can consider spending extra on a receiver.. you can even consider going for separate - processor and power amp.

B&W 800 series is very nice, but I feel their prices are extremely high in India and for me,they cross the VFM line(in india).

It would really help if you can share the size of the room and your music/movies preference.

 

[afj]

youre looking at the right range when it comes to speakers, but you would definitely need a way better amp than the denon. dont even think about looking in that range. you should atleast consider amps like bryston ( Bryston Limited - Music For A Generation ), classe ( Class Audio manufactures Delta and CT (Custom Theater) Series home theater and hi fi systems for audiophiles and videophiles including digital tuners, surround sound processors, DVD players, and multi-channel amplifiers. ) or arcam ( Arcam HiFi and Home Cinema Systems ) at the very least.

bryston and monitor audios are a match made in heaven, if you like neutral that is. i read a owner saying that on his ma rs6 and bryston setup he watched an action movie and the sound separation was so good that he could make out the difference in sound of each bullet coming out of an automatic machine gun

by the way whats your room size

 

[venkatcr]

Sir, Budget is max 15L, excluding the video components, acoustic treatment etc. I think this is a majestic sum for a home-theater setup and hopefully should afford me close to a state of the art system. Please do not think that spending a huge sum is the goal here, may choose to get a much cheaper system if I don't see much benefit when I go for auditions.

When you are in this budget, it would be foolish to make a purchase without auditioning a few brands. You should hear Denon, Yamaha, and Onkyo. You should audition some of the speakers that jitubisht mentioned and, if possible, Martin Logan, Deftech, PSB, and others. You should also consider the possibility of using in-wall speakers to give you a real HT experience.

Cheers

 

[Monkey.D.Luffy]

Thanks for the replies, appreciate the help. The room size is approx 30'x20'x10' so fairly large. The room is going to be dedicated for HT usage and thus, will be treated with acoustic panels.
The setup will be mostly used for movies, although music is also important. I am thinking of connecting my ps3 to the setup and also giving it an attached and dedicated PC/media center for netflix, music etc.

afj ji, are the amps/speakers you mentioned available for auditions in Mumbai? I am heading there around Dec and could definitely setup some listenings. Any favorites that I should look out for?

vankatcr sir, I am highly interested in Electrostatic speakers like Martin Logan/ Magnepans. Could you share opinions on them if you have given them a listen? Do these require the same kind of amplification? Do inwall speakers offer any additional benefit over wall mounted speakers like Electra SR 1000 Be?

 

[afj]

this is what i've got off the net from the products sites. they are the importers. give them a call and they'll help you with local dealers

bryston and monitor audio

The Audio People
88, G.N. Chetty Road
T. Nagar, Chennai-600 017
Contact: A.T.Jalal
Ph: 91-44-42125-999
Fax: 91-44-42125-899
[email protected]
Electronic Equipments in Chennai: HI-FI Speakers dealers,Monitor Audio loudspeaker center,Home Theater in chennai,Projector in chennai,Hi-Fi preAmplifier

classe

Audiovision India PVT. LTD.
New Empire Cinema Building 2nd Floor
Murzban Road, Fort Mumbai- 400 001

Ph: 91(22) 2200 4040
Fax: 91(22) 2200 0909
Email: [email protected]

arcam

XPro Global Limited
Plot # 1, Industrial Area N.I.T.
Faridabad, Haryana
India
121001
+91 129 2233915/16/17 - +91 981 0296689

 

[prem]

Hi D Luffy

J&B Sound have lovely BG in wall speakers. They also have the entire Cary range of home video. Sounds really nice. They are based in Mumbai. If you wish you can audition their stuff when you are here.

 

[venkatcr]

vankatcr sir, I am highly interested in Electrostatic speakers like Martin Logan/ Magnepans. Could you share opinions on them if you have given them a listen? Do these require the same kind of amplification?

Yes, they would. You should also add a sub necessarily as they do not play low frequencies well. But in mid and highs they are simply superb. I have heard the Magnepans in the US and they were phenomenol. I have heard the Martin Logan conventional speakers and they are great for movies.

But, frankly, unless you are a serious listener to music, it does not make sense to get electrostatics for movies. A good conventional speaker set will suffice. For movies, you need a large sound stage, so that is important to cover.

As I mentioned before, since you are looking at room acoustics, do look at in-wall speakers from PSB, DefTech and other companies. Using acopustically transparent screen, these speakers can be hidden in your acoutical panelling and sound excellent for movies. Remember, that is just one option. Many people (including me) believe in floor standing speakers. So that is also a good option. The only issue with FLs are that they take a lot of space.

BTW, when I mentioned Denon, Yamaha, and Onkyo, I am assuming you would look at their high ends. I did not mention processors and amplifiers, as I conjectured your would be uncomfortable with too many controls and connectivity options.

Cheers

 

[nshankar]

Welcome to HFV.

Your room is quite big, therefore it is recommended you first choose the speakers you want (IMHO, room size dictates the power of speakers).

Having done that (not easy, multiple auditions may be required and it is recommended you carry your fav music), you could then narrow down the choice of amplifiers.

As suggested, separate pre-amp and power amp recommended.

Also, search the forum, there are guidelines available how the budget can be distributed amongst various components. It is recommended you decide on the speakers first and then using this cost, budget the other components.

Have a great time... and keep us posted. Thanks.

 

[jitubisht]

if not seperates.. you can look for Arcam AVR 600. It is everything that you'll need

 

[murali]

Thanks for the replies, appreciate the help. The room size is approx 30'x20'x10' so fairly large. The room is going to be dedicated for HT usage and thus, will be treated with acoustic panels.
The setup will be mostly used for movies, although music is also important. I am thinking of connecting my ps3 to the setup and also giving it an attached and dedicated PC/media center for netflix, music etc.

afj ji, are the amps/speakers you mentioned available for auditions in Mumbai? I am heading there around Dec and could definitely setup some listenings. Any favorites that I should look out for?

vankatcr sir, I am highly interested in Electrostatic speakers like Martin Logan/ Magnepans. Could you share opinions on them if you have given them a listen? Do these require the same kind of amplification? Do inwall speakers offer any additional benefit over wall mounted speakers like Electra SR 1000 Be?

With your budget of 15L, you are looking for a primarily HT set-up but also say music is important.
Believe me, even if you spend > 15L for the HT set-up and structure your music listening around it, you are not going to benefit from a 5L standalone stereo music system. If listening to music is as important to you as watching movies, my humble suggestion will be to build a stereo system at around 10L and spend the 5L in the HT components. A good source (CD player), preamp+2-channel power amp, a pair of good speakers with accessories will be easy to set up. Try to get the center speaker from the same make and invest a low amount in a pair of surround speakers (any make will do), plus a decent mid-priced surround processor like Rotel or Parasound or Arcam, a mid-priced multichannel power amp should augument the set-up. Since your room is fairly big, look for a good subwoofer like Bag End or Rel, or if funds permit, a pair of them which can integrate well with your main speakers. If you are still left with some pennies, a boom-boom subwoofer for movie effects can be added. With your lavish budget, don't forget to earmark 10-20% for good quality equipment stands and cables and accessories.
Just from experience.
Of course, if music is less important than movies, still I would suggest the above scheme minus stereo components, but don't spend 15L. One-third of that should be enough and the balance can happily sit in your bank account.

If you really are an extreme movie buff and don't care about spending, please do go ahead.

good luck and cheers.
murali

 

[doors666]

yeah, you are better off spending your money in buying two separate systems. somethinglike a B&W 685, get 5 of these for something like 1.3L, get a svs or hsu sub for about 70k, get a good projector for 1L and an oppo bd player for about 40k, yamaha/denon/marantz AVR for another 50-60k. Done with the HT system. Trust me, its enough and you are done in about 4L for an HT system.

Spend another 4-5L on a stereo system and make a foren trip for another 4-5L with ur missus, she'll be happy too:lol:

 

[Monkey.D.Luffy]

Thanks everyone for the informative replies, special thanks to afj sir for doing the dirty work for me!

As the actual purchase of the setup is still some months away, I should have some time to audition some setups before making my mind up, although whether that is gonna be helpful or confuses me further remains to be seen lol! I will make sure that I update the forum with pics and info when I do make the actual purchase though!! Anyhow, I should have multiple queries cropping up the closer I get on deciding what to buy.

murali sir, what you say makes definite sense and who knows I may end up doing something just like that if I don't see the benefits of spending so much money!! doors666 ji, still single but I do wish I had a cute enough bird to merit spending 5L on though :lol:!!

 

[homiyar]

Hey all, so I am in the process of deciding on a high-end home theater setup for use in India. I visited the pro-fx dealership in blore and they suggested the focal electras in a 7.1 setup. I was previously thinking of a 5.1 setup with either the B&W 800 series or a high-end B&O setup with Beolab 5s.

Having read reviews of the focal electras, I am now actually quite tempted to get them as they seem very VFM , but they are insanely expensive in India(oxymoron?)!! Can anyone suggest me any other options to go with which will perhaps offer close to the same performance at a lower price point? or even better performance at around the same price?

Anyways, as of now I am pretty much sold on the focal electras, and the pro-fx dudes sent me a quotation pairing the beauties with Denon recievers.
This is the part where I am getting confused and need some help.

Most people I have talked to (except the pro-fx guy who talks like nothing makes better amps than denon) are of the opinion that pairing denons, even the top models with such high-end speakers is not a great idea and I shud be looking at brands like Mcintosh etc. I think I stumbled upon a post on this very forum saying the same thing and pointing out pro-fx's fetish regarding focals and denons. So can someone actually clarify? Do I really need to spend 5Ls just on mono-blocks from (insert brand name here) to do the speakers justice?

I am used to buying out of the box systems(mostly B&Os, have an old Nakamichi) and have no idea about Amps except what I have read in the past couple of weeks and everyone's views are so different on the matter. In the end, its a complex topic and i still have no clue what stuff like solid state, Class A/B/C/D etc mean. As some would say/have said I am a complete "newb" hehe.

Please keep in mind that this system will be sourced from India and so only provide info if the said equipment can actually be purchased here. Any knowledge on this matter would be super!!

Hi

If you are having a big rooom with a substancial budget the only set up that will suite you is for speakers go for Dali helicon series and the only ultimate amp you can decide is the Arcam AVR 600 mind you it is a real beast.

Homiyar

 

[afj]

special thanks to afj sir for doing the dirty work for me!

no problem buddy. please drop the sir. every system will have its own characteristics - its very qualitative and therefore very important that you do a bit of listening and find out what sort of a system you would like before you buy it, esp when it comes to music.

 

[doors666]

doors666 ji, still single but I do wish I had a cute enough bird to merit spending 5L on though :lol:!!

It figures, should've thought. No one with a wife will have the luxury of spending 15L on a music system.:lol:

 

[Monkey.D.Luffy]

Hi

If you are having a big rooom with a substancial budget the only set up that will suite you is for speakers go for Dali helicon series and the only ultimate amp you can decide is the Arcam AVR 600 mind you it is a real beast.

Homiyar

Sir, the AVR 600 does look like a beast!! I think I am sold on this one hyeah:. Also does Dali have an authorized dealership in India? Couldn't find anything on their website.

no problem buddy. please drop the sir. every system will have its own characteristics - its very qualitative and therefore very important that you do a bit of listening and find out what sort of a system you would like before you buy it, esp when it comes to music.

That's what I plan on doing as soon as I get back to India! I think my purchase is going to be radically different than what I thought it would be!!.

It figures, should've thought. No one with a wife will have the luxury of spending 15L on a music system.:lol:

 

[homiyar]

Sir, the AVR 600 does look like a beast!! I think I am sold on this one hyeah:. Also does Dali have an authorized dealership in India? Couldn't find anything on their website.



That's what I plan on doing as soon as I get back to India! I think my purchase is going to be radically different than what I thought it would be!!.

Hi pal,

You can check out products like bali and arcam at Boomerang in mumbai at cst tele: 22616511, 22616512

homiyar